Cristiano Ronaldo‘s remarkable career in the ‘beautiful game’ is one fine example of domination and glory. As fans around the world continue to heap praise on him, CR7 himself took the mic to shower compliments on the person who first spotted his raw talent. The Al Nassr icon lauded Aurelio Pereira, the ex-Chief Scout of Sporting CP who had a knack for noticing luminaries, like Ronaldo himself.

At the age of 38, the soccer icon is still going strong. While he now plays outside Europe, the veteran is currently with his national team, playing in the UEFA Euro Qualifiers. Despite firing blank, the Portuguese skipper helped his nation clinch victory against Iceland.

Cristiano Ronaldo praises Aurelio Pereira’s ability to ‘see the stars’ very early

Although everyone is fond of Cristiano Ronaldo’s stellar career at some revered clubs, one must not forget where it all began: Sporting CP. It is the place where the five-time Ballon d’Or was first spotted, and the rest, as you all know, is history. Interestingly, while in Portugal, Ronaldo recently took time to send a special message to Aurelio Pereira. He said, “As Mr. Aurelio knows, that was very important, he trained me. Not only me but all my comrades, many of them—he is an example to everyone”.

“We know that Mr. Aurelio has eyes different from everyone else, and he has always had the ability to see the stars and help them. This makes me very happy. I know that M. Aurelio is also in excellent condition, better indeed. I hope it continues for many years. I hope you can enjoy this. Bye.”, he concluded. Indeed, these are some heartfelt words from the 38-year-old.

Certainly, Mr. Pereira would be glad to hear the message from the boy who helped turn around his scouting career. The Sporting CP veteran is still yet to respond to Ronaldo’s comments.

Meanwhile, speaking more about Mr Pereira, the ex-Chief Scout of Sporting CP is an icon himself who recently won an accolade too. Let’s dive deeper.

Everything you need to know about Sporting CP icon Aurelio Pereira

While Cristiano Ronaldo achieved countless recognitions, the man who discovered and trusted his raw talent also achieved greatness. Back in 2017, the Estádio Universitário de Lisboa had a touching event honoring Aurelio Pereira. Notably, Fernando Medina, the mayor of the city, awarded the Lisbon Municipal Medal for Sports Merit to Alvalade’s head scout.

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Remarkably, after he arrived in Alvalade at age 14, he received an invitation to return to the club as a youth team coach. After two decades, he inaugurated the youth football department in July 1988. During this 30-year-long tenure, aside from finding Cristiano Ronaldo, he played a pivotal role in identifying talents such as Luís Figo, Paulo Futre, Simão Sabrosa, Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, and numerous others.

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